Canceling-stamp.



E. WILKOSHESKY.

'cANcBLlNG STAMP. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5, 1909.

'Patented ot.26,1909.

UNITED sTATEs ,PATENT .,oEEIcE.

EDMUND z. wILxosHEsxY, oEcHIcAGo, ILLINOIS.

C ANCELING-STAMP.

Specidationof Letters Patent. Application filed August 5, 1909. Serial No. 511,276.

-Patented oct. 26', 1909.

To all whom 'it may Gomera:

e it known that I, EDMUND Z. WIL- xosHEsxY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cancelin Stamps, of which the following is a specilication.`

My invention relates to improvements in canceling stamps, and especially to that class 'of stamp used in the postal department for the cancellation of postage stamps applied to packages or boxes and the like.

My object is to provide a revolving selfinking stamp of thisclass of simple, economical and improved construction, and my device is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whichj Figure l is a perspective view of my improved stamp; Fig. 2, an enlarged view in longitudinal section; and Fig. 3, a view in transverse section taken on line 3 in Fig. 2.

' A tube A of requisite length and open at its lower end, as shown in Fig. 2, is provided at its opposite end with a cap a and forms the handle of the stamp. Within the handle is placed an absorbent material B, which extends Vfrom slightly below the open end of the tube throughout approximately twothirds or three-fourths the length of the handle and forms a core, havinv a chamber b above it, or. within the lend ofP the handle, as shown in Fig. 2, to afford an ink-reservo1r. The, chamber B is filled with liquid ink C and is sealed by a gasket or packing disk `a1 which is confined against the end of the tube by the cap a. A collar D surrounds the handle and is adapted to be adjustably confined Athereon throughthe medium of a lset-screw d. Two similar spring-fingers E are secured to the collar between flanges e by screws e1, and at their free lends are rovided with holes for receiving the trunnions 5d preferably of rubber f projecting from the shaft F of the stampwheel. This wheel, as shown,lcomprises a core G of wood, or other suitable material,

through which the shaft F passes and to which it is rigidly secured, and a rim g, upon the outer surface of which is formed the canceling characters.

In-devices of this type it is necessary to frequently change the stamp, for various reasons, and for` this purpose the springfingers are provided, so that upon spreading them apart the stamp-wheel may be readily removed and another substituted therefor,

which may be as readily adjusted in working position between the fingers.

In use, the device is taken in the hand of the operator and the wheell rolled over a row or a number of stamps on a mail package, by which act the stamps applied thereto may be canceled, regardless of any irregularity in the surface of the wrapper to which the stamps are applied. The ink contained in the chamber percolates orpasses through the core by capillary attraction and as the wheel revolves in contact therewith asuiiicient quantity thereof'is deposited upon the canceling characters of-the wheel to produce a clear imprint as the wheel is rolled over the stamps.

In perfecting my device, great difficulty has been experienced in the proper selection of material for the core which would not become hard or crusted at its exposed end, or deteriorate through long use, while permitting of an even distribution or flow of ink therethrough. To avoid these object-lons and to aord the best possible results, I take a hank of yarn of greater diameter than that of the tube and with a proper instrument draw it into the tube the desired distance. As `the yarn is drawn within the tube it is compressed to the desired degree to afford the proper density to the core, and itsproj ecting end is then trimmed off to the requisite length to project slightly from the tube. The handle, or tube,y at this end is preferlably reamed or curved at its inner edge as shown at h (Fig. 2), so as to allow the core to round out or expand slightly, as vshown in that figure to form a soft and slightly iufly surface or contact with the Wheel.

It has been found in practice that ink used with stam s of this kind flows differently under di erent tem eratures, there being a wide range of di erence between 1ts action during winter months and lduring the summer months. Cn this account it is very desirable that, there be provided a ready adjustment of the wheel to and from the core to vary the contact between them according to conditionsand to properly afford the desired coating of ink to the characters of the wheel. As the wheel in revolving gradually wears the core, provision ismade also for the adjustment of the wheel to any angle (in a horizontal plane) relative to its previous position, by which the wear of the core may be made uniform. The collar D may be moved along the tube or handle, and

l fined thereupon at any desired point by the set-screw d, which provides forany adjustv rotated about the same and securely conment of the roller as occasion demands.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a stamp of the character described, the combination of a hollow handle, an inksupplying core within the handle, a collar revolubly mounted on and adjustably se cured to the handle, fingers extending from the collar and a roller rotatably confined between said fingers and against the core, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a stamp of the'character described,

the combination of a hollow handle con taining a chamber, an ink-supplying core .within the handle, a collar revolubly mounted on and adjustably secured to the handle, spring-fingers projecting from said collar, and a canceling roller rotatably confined between said fingers and against the core, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a stamp of the character described, the combination ofv a hollow handle containing a chamber, an ink-supplying core within said handle and composed o -strands of ing a handle havin yarn projecting beyond one end thereof, an

inking roller, and means for adjusting saic roller to and from said core and for adjusting the line of contact of the roller with the core in any direction transversely of the core, for the purpose set forth.

4. In a stamp of the character described, the combination of a cylindrical tube forma aring'open end, a compressed ink-con ucting core within said tube extending short of one of its ends to form a chamber within the handle and projecting in an expanded form beyond said open end, a collar loosely mounted on the tube, spring fingers att-ached to and extending from the collar, a printing roller rotatably confined between the fingers, said 1 collar being slidable and rotatable about the tube to adjust the position of said roller relative to the core, and means for holding said collar in adjusted position on dle, for the purpose set forth.

EDMUNDv Z. WILKOSIIESKY.

In \the presence of- CEAS. E. GAYLonD, RALPH SCHAEFER.

the han- 

